Carton blank feeder



Aug. 28, 1962 M. B. RASMUSSON CARTON BLANK FEEDER 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 1, 1960 INVENTOR. Mia/w 6, 249105504 irraavih a' A 28, 1962 M. B. RASMUSSON 3,051,473

CARTON BLANK FEEDER Filed Feb. 1, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 26 IN V EN TOR.

Mia/M i a /055a yway/r W2 2 Aug. 28, 1962 M. B. RASMUSSON CARTON BLANK FEEDER 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Feb. 1, 1960 m nvru Aug. 28, 1962 M. B. RASMUSSON 3,051,478

' CARTON BLANK FEEDER Filed Feb. 1, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR. Mm/lv 5, iisnussam United States Patent Ofiice 3,651,478 Patented Aug. 28, 1,962

3,051,478 CARTON BLANK FEEDER Marlin B. Rasmusson, 6601 Elvas Ave, Sacramento, Calif. Filed Feb. 1, 196a, Ser. No. 5,993 Claims. (Cl. 271-42) My invent-ion relates to means for handling flat blank carton sheets such as fibreboard or paperboard sheets and for transporting individual ones of them from a pile into a device for forming a fiat sheet into a partially erect carton.

An object of the invention is to provide a means for effectively feeding single sheets from a stack or pile of sheets into a forming machine.

Another object of the invention is to provide a carton blank feeder effective to handle varying blank sizes and piles of blanks of varying height.

Another object of the invention is to provide a carton blank feeder which acts positively to feed but a single blank at a time from a stack of blanks.

Another object of the invention is to provide a carton blank feeder which is simple and direct in its mechanism and can economically be fabricated and simply serviced.

Another object of the invention is in general to provide an improved carton blank feeder.

Other objects of the invention together with the foregoing are attained in the embodiment of the invention described in the accompanying description and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of a carton blank feeder constructed in accordance with the invention and shown in association with a carton blank forming device;

FIGURE 2 is a plan of a carton blank feeder constructed pursuant to the invention;

FIGURE 3 is a cross section the planes of which are indicated by the lines 33 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a cross section to an enlarged scale showing part of the feeding device in successive positions of operation;

FIGURE 5 is a plan of part of the feeder mechanism;

FIGURE 6 is an end elevation of the structure shown in FIGURE 5; and

FIGURE 7 is a cross section the plane of which is indicated by the line 77 of FIGURE 6.

A commercially successful version of the carton blank feeder has been incorporated with a carton forming machine. The forming machine is a standard device and is not part of the present invention. As shown in FIG- URE 1, it includes a vertically reciprocating plunger 6 designed to move a fiat carton blank from an upper station 7 through a partial folding station, not shown, and then to a lower station 8 at which the carton is carried away by a conveyor belt 9.

In accordance with the present invention there is provided a framework 11, conveniently part of or joined to the framework for the carton feeding mechanism previously mentioned. On the framework 11 at a convenient height below the, elevation of the station 7 is a carton blank support 12. This is preferably a horizontal or level table on which a stack 13 of individual carton blanks 14 can be disposed. These blanks are usually of an outline in plan such as shown in FIGURE 2 and are conveniently fabricated of cardboard, fibreboard, stiff paper, or the like. They are usually supplied to the machine in stacks with the sides of the stacks vertical. Pursuant to the invention, the stack 13 is positioned so that the forward and rearward surfaces are no longer vertical but rather are forwardly inclined at the top so that the in dividual blanks are displaced slightly with respect to each other. This assists in separating the edges of the 2 individual blanks 14 which sometimes are slightly bent in fabrication and tend to stick together.

To establish and maintain the contour of the pile there is provided on the support 12 a pair of side walls 16 and 17, each of which is of an appropriate height to take a standard charge or supply of blanks and is substantially vertical when considered transversely. The trailing ends of the side members are provided with inwardly inclined dihedral members 18 and 19 to conform approximately to the contour of the blanks engaged. Also upstanding from the support 12 are forward guides 21 and 22. These preferably comprise simply vertical plates with rear edges 23 inclined at the same inclination as the dihedral members 18 and 19 of the side walls. An additional, small confining bracket 26 is mounted on the frame 11 adjacent the support 12 so that the lower carton blanks are accurately positioned on four sides in an inclined stack and the upper carton blanks are so positioned on three sides.

Disposed on the framework 11 at one end of the blank support 12 is a pair of feeder rollers 31 and 32. These rollers are preferably disposed so that they meet approximately 011 a central, horizontal plane about at the elevation of the platform 7 and at a substantial distance above the support 12. The lower roller 32 is preferably driven in a direction that is clockwise as seen in FIGURES 1 and 3. For that purpose an electric motor 34 is mounted on the frame 11 and is connected by chains 36 and 38 to a sprocket 39 at the end of the roller 32. The roller 32 is conveniently covered with rubber or a similar material as is the upper roller 31. Springs 41 urge the upper roller 31 toward the lower roller so that the upper roller can float somewhat but is driven by frictional contact with the roller or with an intervening blank.

In order to feed the carton blanks from the inclined stack 13 to the platform 7 through the rollers 31 and 32, there is provided a special reciprocating feed mechanism. Upstanding from the upper portion of the framework 11 are brackets 43 between which is mounted one end 44 of a jack mechanism 46. The jack includes a cylinder 47 actuated by any suitable sort of pressure fluid such as air and also includes a piston rod 48 which is reciprocable within the jack cylinder 47 by appropriately timed operation of the pressure air. The operating controls for the jack are not shown but are standard valving. If desired, the connections to the cylinder 47 are such that the entire cylinder and its appurtenances can be swung into the dotted line position 49 in FIGURE 1 when the carton supply is to be replenished. When the device is to operate, however, the jack 46 is swung into its full line position as shown in FIGURE 1.

Secured to the connecting rod 48 at the free end thereof and particularly as illustrated in FIGURES 5, 6 and 7 is a carriage plate 51 having a pair of end walls 52 and 53 thereon. Each of the end walls serves as a bearing support for one of two stub axles 54 and 56. The stub axles although turning freely in the end walls 5'2 and 5-3 are firmly mounted in and fixed relative to the wheels 57 and 58, being jammed in position by nuts 59. Preferably the periphery of the wheels is provided with knurling so as to have considerable friction.

The facing inner ends of the stub axles are firmly fixed in a feeder block 61 of approximately square cross section. At convenient intervals along its length the block 61 is provided with needles 62 secured in position by set screws 63. Depending from the carriage plate 51 is a rearward stop 64 and a forward stop 66- to limit the rotational capabilities of the block 61.

In the operation of this device, a stack of carton blanks is provided on the support 12, the motor 34 is energized to rotate the rollers 31 and 32, and the cylinder 47 is provided with pressure air or other actuating fluid, for example so as to Withdraw the extended piston rod 48. In one extreme position, the rod 48 is located as shown in FIGURE 1 and as'shown by the left-hand portion of FIGURE 4. When the rod 48 is withdrawn, the wheels 57 and 58 are initially moved toward the right in those figures. This motion causes the wheels to rotate in a clockwise direction, because of friction, and so to rotate the block 61. Rotation of the block moves the needles 62 so that their points engage and penetrate the blank material. As soon as the needles have penetrated the material of the top blank sufiiciently, further rotation of the block is stopped by the stop 64 and the subjacent blank is not engaged by the needles. Also, the wheels can no longer rotate.

Further withdrawing movement of the piston rod 48 translates the mechanism together with the penetrated top blank toward the right. The needles, having dug into the top blank, move the blank with them as shown in the successive views of FIGURE 4. The leading edge of the blank is displaced to slide up the guides 21 and 22 until the leading edge of the blank is gripped by and is drawn between the rotating rollers. Since the rollers rotate faster than the block 61 advances, the rollers detach the blank from the needles and tend to turn the block 61 counterclockwise as they feed the blank forwardly into the forming mechanism. The air connections to the jack are then reversed and the connecting rod 48 is projected. During this time the wheels are further rotated counterclockwise as seen in FIGURES 1 and 4 and after the block 61 has rotated against the stop 66 the wheels then slide over the uppermost form until the entire feeding mechanism returns to its initial position. At a subsequent time the air connections to the jack are again reversed and the cycle repeats with the wheels running clockwise to engage the needles into the then uppermost blank.

' As the pile of blanks is depleted, the jack gradually swings by gravity from its uppermost position into its lowermost position. In each cycle the jack serves to engage the needles with the uppermost blank and to feed the blank up the guides and through the rollers into the forming device. Since the top blank is fed upwardly at its leading edge to slide up the guides, the top blank is somewhat curved or flexed from its fiat condition and so tends to separate easily from the subjacent blanks so that but a single blank is fed at a time. Additional blanks can be added to the top of the stack at any time simply by manually lifting the jack 46 between feeding cycles. The added blanks are aligned with the remaining pile by the guides 21 and 22 as well as by the dihedral members 18 and 19.

What is claimed is:

1. A carton blank feeder comprising a frame, a carton blank support on said frame, a carriage reciprocable over said support, a pair of wheels on opposite sides of said carriage and rotatable on said support, means at one end pivoted on said frame and at the other end connected to said carriage for reciprocating said carriage over said support, means on said carriage between said Wheels for engaging a blank on said support, and means including said wheels for turning said carriage for engaging said means with said blank during reciprocation of said carriage in one direction and for turning said carriage for holding said means out of engagement with said blank during reciprocation of said carriage in the opposite direction.

2. A carton blank feeder comprising a frame, a carton blank support on said frame, a jack mechanism, means for pivoting one end of said jack mechanism to said frame at a point above and at the discharge end of said blank support, a carriage, means for connecting said carriage to the other end of said jack mechanism, wheels on said carriage adapted to run on a carton blank on said support, needles on said carriage, and means for connecting said needles and said wheels for movement of said needles into said carton blank upon movement of said wheels in the direction of said discharge end.

3. A carton blank feeder comprising a frame, a carton blank support in a horizontal position on said frame, a pair of carton blank feeder rollers on said frame at one end of said blank support and substantially above said blank support, guides on said frame extending upwardly from said blank support to said rollers, an elongated jack mechanism adapted to overlie said blank support, supporting means on said frame centrally above and adjacent to said rollers and pivotally connected to one end of said jack mechanism, a carriage at the other end of and in supporting relationship with said jack mechanism, and needles included in said carriage and engageable with a carton blank on said blank support.

4. A carton blank feeder comprising a frame, a substantially horizontal blank support fixed on said frame, a pair of carton blank feed rollers on said frame at one end of and substantially above said blank support, guides on said frame extending upwardly from said support substantially to said feed roller, a jack mechanism overlying said blank support, means'for pivotally supporting the Weight of one end of, said jack mechanism on said frame, means for supporting the weight of the other end of said jack mechanism on blanks on said blank support including an axle structure journalled on said other end of said jack mechanism, Wheels fixed on said axle structure to rest on said blanks, and blank-engaging needles fixed in said axle structure.

5. A carton blank feeder comprising a frame, a substantially horizontal blank support fixed on said frame, a pair of carton blank feed rollers mounted transversely on said frame at one end of and substantially above said blank support, longitudinally extending guides on said frame extending upwardly from said support substantially to said feed rollers, a longitudinally extending jack mechanism overlying said blank support, means for pivotally supporting the Weight of one end of said jack mechanism on said frame above and adjacent said rollers, means for supporting the weight of the other end of said jack mechanism on blanks on said blank support, and blankengaging needles included in said supporting means and o pivotally related to said jack mechanism.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 908,195 Barry Dec. 29, 1908 1,378,886 Maineri May 24, 1921 1,538,184 Hale May 19, 1925 2,062,952 Wahlquist Dec. 1, 1936 2,125,167 Lee July 26, 1938 2,428,231 Leschin Sept. 30, 1947 2,576,636 Opgenorth Nov. 27, 1951 

